I'm an urban, high-rise apartment dweller. My living-working-gardening space is limited. Some people have breakfast nooks or solariums next to their kitchens, but my breakfast nook is a Machine Room, which also doubles as my Hanging Gardens. About a year ago I read on the news that just looking at growing things and being near them increases our emotional well-being and productivity, and since then I kind of lost my mind and developed a bit of a plant hoarding problem. I currently have 120.Living alongside my manufacturing equipment always creates a frustrating functionality-vs-aesthetic conflict because I hate visual clutter. I need my machines/tools because they help me make art, so I try to integrate them into my home decor as best as I can and still be comfortable living amongst them. It takes a lot of curating. Feels like a game of Tetris sometimes.

Needless to say, my machines and I are very close. Sometimes late at night I throw some rugs down on the cold tile floor, pour some tea, light candles for atmosphere and just hang out with them while pretending we're in a lovely garden. It's kinda nice.